


Learning to Trust Your Brother

by papmoli



Series: Harsh Reality [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Brotherly Love, Cannibalism, Character Death, Coma, Competition, Death, Deception, Depression, Forced Dust-Eating, Gen, Grudges, Heavy gore, Human/Monster Racism, Manipulation, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Mental Instability, Murder, Near Death Experiences, Past Character Death, Past Sexual Assault, Physical Abuse, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soul Bond, Torture, forced murder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29297799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/papmoli/pseuds/papmoli
Summary: "I can't help it, you'd laugh too if you knew what I knew."Papyrus wasn't sure who he was or if anyone was real anymore.
Relationships: Past Undyne/Alphys
Series: Harsh Reality [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2153586
Kudos: 1





	1. This Human Is Way Too Loud

**Author's Note:**

> This probably won't be very realistic, but who cares? It's fanfiction.

"Hey, bud, snap out of it," Sans gruff voice broke him from his stupor.  
  
  
  
Papyrus looked up from his clasped hands. Summoning his eyelights again, he flinched as the bright, flickering light above seeped into them. He uncrossed his legs, sitting up straight, "Sorry." The shorter skeleton grunted something before looking away.  
  
  
The horrid smell of flesh drifted into Papyrus's nasal cavity, making his eye socket twitch. He coughed quietly, gripping the inside of his hoodie pocket tighter.  
  
  
  
  
"Fuck! Stop, stop!" The human wailed, his eyes nearly swollen shut and his nose bleeding daunting amounts of blood. It was bumpy and out of place. Sans socked the man in the face again, his gloved phalanges slightly ripping into the burning red flesh.  
  
  
  
Papyrus cringed as he watched, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. The human hollered again, his voice hoarse. "Do I have to ask you again?" Sans hissed, picking a piece of flesh off with a scowl.  
  
  
The middle-aged man began to cry again, the tears rolling down his ripped cheeks. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! I don't have any docu-" He was unable to finish as Undyne jabbed a screwdriver into his thigh, ripping it in and out with a repulsive squelching and ripping noise. The tool got stuck for a moment. The man emitted a shrill scream, his voice cracking. Undyne cackled, throwing her head back as the man sobbed harder. "You should probably answer soon, buddy," Sans advised, sporting a lazy smile.  
  
  
  
Papyrus watched in silence, his sockets twitching again. He didn't often wish for others to die, but he wanted to kill the guy already. How long had they been here now? An hour and a half?  
  
Choking, the man spat blood out onto the floor, making a gurgling noise. A tad of it got on Papyrus's boots. The skeleton frowned, wondering why he decided to wear a new pair on a mission.  
  
  
Undyne twisted the handle of the screwdriver. Her smile revealed her sharpened, stained teeth. Papyrus nearly rolled his eyelights.  
  
He failed to see what others enjoyed so much about violence. What's fun about getting thick, red liquid that's hard to clean and smells overpowering all over yourself? What's fun about making others scream until you have hearing damage? He didn't think he'd ever understand. However, monsters were like little kids on Halloween when it came to their missions.  
  
  
They wanted more and more candy.  
  
  
The fish woman plunged the tool deeper into the man's leg, making him wail and wiggle in the unstable wooden chair he was tied to. His bonds dug into his stomach. "I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE!" He screamed, his face so swollen it was unrecognizable.  
  
  
Sans snickered, patting the man's greasy and sweaty head. The light from above was reflecting off it. "Sure you don't." He was leaning against the wall, his sockets looking as if they'd close any moment. He turned his head to look at Papyrus. "Hey, hand Undyne a weapon, won't ya? Maybe we need to switch it up."  
  
  
  
  
Papyrus nodded stiffly, rushing to the table with an assortment of tools. It was as if the human set up his torture, for he had a perfect variety. He even had a syringe, for god's sake.  
  
  
The skeleton scanned the table, glancing from the dusty syringe to the sharp pair of scissors that looked as if he just bought them. With a small nod to himself, he picked up the scissors and threw them at Undyne.  
  
  
She caught it quickly, glaring at him from the side of her eyes. He rolled his eyelights as she bared her teeth at him like a dog. Her snarl lasted for a few seconds before she hastily returned to her work.  
  
  
  
With a loud laugh, the woman began cutting into the human's nasal cartilage. The scrawny man hollered in harrowing pain. His face was swollen and red because of the blood. "So, are you going to give me an answer yet?" Sans asked, his sockets half-closed and his arms crossed as he gazed at the human, his eyelights snuffed out.  
  
  
A few moments passed, the bulb above flickering again. Letting out what sounded like a groan, the man shook his head, his voice wavering as he murmured a pathetic, "No." Tsking, Sans shook his head, his signature grin still on his face. "Guess that leaves us no choice... Undyne?"  
  
  
  
The fish woman barely hesitated before ripping out her trusty hatchet from her belt. She prepared to swing, her pupils wide as she aimed for the man's neck. Papyrus cringed and looked away.  
  
  
  
  
"S-STOP! I'LL TELL-TELL YOU!" The human stuttered, struggling to add some volume to his voice as he trembled. Papyrus looked back, his sockets squinting just in case. The man's eyes were pooling, and he could barely see them through his swollen red lids. A minute of silence passed.  
  
  
  
  
  
Undyne tapped her foot against the ground, glancing at Sans expectantly. The skeleton looked up, his eyelights flickering. A chuckle slipped through his teeth as he stood up straight. "I knew you'd come around. Where are they?" With his head hung low, the human replied, "They're on my laptop."  
  
  
Sans looked around at the multiple laptops, a socket raised. "Which one?" He scoffed.   
  
  
  
  
Tears continued to stream down the man's face, mixing with the blood and making it drip down his chin. His nose didn't resemble anything anymore. "I'll give you any information you want! Just... Just don-don't hurt my kids! I have a daughter, and a son on the way." Undyne rolled her eyes dramatically.   
  
  
  
She reached down, twisting the screwdriver impaled in the man's hairy, thin legs. He howled, his eyes screwed shut tightly. "We don't give a flying fuck, just tell us where the documents are already!" She yelled.  
  
  
  
  
The man whimpered, sinking against the chair, "They're on the green laptop in the third-floor bedroom..." Sans snorted, sitting up slightly, "Of course you weren't smart enough to hide it anywhere else." He nodded at Undyne, examining his gloved phalanges with dim eyelights, "Go grab it." Undyne scowled, stomping her foot like a toddler.  
  
  
  
"Why me? He's the damn runt!" She jabbed a finger at Papyrus. The youngest member flinched slightly in response.  
  
  
  
  
Rolling his eyelights, Sans hissed, "Now." The woman grunted, attaching her hatchet back to her belt as she stormed up the stairs, her red hair swinging. They could hear the screaming wind outside when she opened the door, slamming it behind her.  
  
  
A long amount of time passed.  
  
  
  
Papyrus slid against the pristine white walls, his legs wavery as he counted to one-hundred repeatedly. Sans glanced at him and back at the human, sighing. "Watch the hostage. I'll go see what the hell she's doing." Papyrus nodded, fidgeting with the switchblade in his pocket.  
  
  
  
  
The older skeleton trudged up the basement stairs, a bored expression on his face. The moment their group leader was outside, the human burst into tears, making obnoxious wailing and snorting noises.  
  
  
  
A few moments passed before he looked up, his bloodshot eyes meeting Papyrus's eyelights. He sniffled, stuttering through his ugly sobs, "Can you- Can you bring me my coat please?"  
  
  
  
With narrowed sockets, Papyrus asked him, "Why would I do that?" The skinny, starved man looked up, examining him for a moment too long. Papyrus clenched his blade, trying to keep his posture relaxed.  
  
The man shook his head, "I have a picture of my wife and daughter in there. I just," He hiccupped, "Want to see them again." Papyrus looked away, keeping his gaze trained on his shoes to avoid the man's stare. With a sigh, he glanced at the dirty brown coat on the coatrack.  
  
  
  
  
  
He was not to pity anyone. That was a principle for monsters.  
  
  
  
  
  
"You look like you don't want to be here. I-I don't think you hang out with those thugs because you want to," Papyrus still avoided the man's stare. He furrowed his sockets, gripping his hoodie tightly. "My name's Gareth, what's yours?" The human asked, his voice getting weaker. Papyrus brought his knees closer to himself, fidgeting with his switchblade.  
  
  
  
  
There was a loud sigh, "HEY, at least let me see my family before you a-assholes kill me! I'm not asking for much. If you- If you don't trust me, then at least bring the picture here... Please," He begged, his voice straining.  
  
  
  
  
Papyrus stood silently. He glanced from the door and the jacket, before digging into the pockets, pulling out a picture. On it, there was a short brunette woman with a wide smile, and next to her was a little blonde girl with pigtails and messy pink lip gloss.  
  
She was scowling as she glared at the camera. Papyrus's mouth twitched, his eyelights dimming.  
  
  
  
  
Having a family seemed nice.  
  
  
  
  
He threw the photo between the man's feet before sliding against the wall again, cringing as he felt the cold hardwood floor. The human seemed uncomfortable having to bend his neck at an odd angle, but he said nothing.  
  
  
  
Papyrus shifted as he heard sobbing again.  
  
  
  
Time passed slowly as he waited, drumming his gloved phalanges against his knee. The wind howled outside and snow blew in occasionally. Silence filled the room after the human stopped, seemingly unconscious.  
  
  
  
Papyrus stood as he heard Undyne bickering outside, rushing to pick up the tear-soaked picture and shove it back into the coat. The door busted open, having been kicked down. Undyne came in first, her footsteps heavy. She was muttering under her breath angrily. The human stayed asleep, his nose bleeding at an alarming rate.  
  
  
  
Sans was holding the laptop carelessly. It looked as if he'd drop it any moment, but the skeleton didn't care.  
  
  
  
As the two reached the bottom of the stairs, Sans opened the bright green laptop. He held his hand out, "Hard drive." Undyne brought out a small black object, "What's the password?" Sans asked.  
  
  
Silence.  
  
  
  
"I-Uh, think he's asleep," Papyrus murmured, clasping his hands as he felt Undyne's glare. The woman groaned, tapping her foot against the floor again. "Why'd you let him fall asleep, idiot? You know you're not supposed to do that!" Papyrus flinched, standing up slowly. "Sorry."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sans sighed, rubbing his skull, "Wake him up, Papyrus." The youngest straightened, nodding quickly. He strode over to the human, his legs shaking slightly. Undyne snorted as she watched the gangly monster approach.  
  
  
  
Papyrus looked at the human, clenching his teeth.  
  
  
  
Slam!  
  
  
  
He slammed the guy's head against the wall, making him jolt awake with a cry. He opened his eyes quickly, and Papyrus watched as his eyes darkened when he saw them.   
  
  
"Tell us the password or we'll mutilate your family," Papyrus threatened, cringing inwardly at his horrible acting. However, the human bought it, instantly screeching, "It's 55766ALO!" Sans smiled, typing it in quickly and inserting the hard drive.  
  
  
  
  
Papyrus watched as many sequences appeared on the screen. He frowned, "What do we do know?" He asked, his voice just above a whisper. He knew nobody in his group was good with computers, especially not him. Undyne grunted, side-eyeing him, "River will help us with that."  
  
  
  
  
Shortly after she said that, River's loud and cocky voice emitted from the laptop, "Took you guys long enough." Papyrus looked down at his clasped hands, embarrassed.  
  
  
  
  
  
The room was silent as the ghost worked his magic. The screen turned black. Occasionally, it'd flash white, illuminating the inside of Sans's skull. Papyrus watched curiously.   
  
  
  
  
Eventually, the screen switched back to the orange minimalist wallpaper. "Okay, I cleared all of the information and the files. No need to thank me, lovelies!" The ghost chirped. Undyne rolled her eyes and Sans grunted, "Must I remind you that you're supposed to respect those above you?" He emphasized the word 'above.'  
  
  
  
  
  
Papyrus could almost hear River smirking, "Geez, you're such a stick in the-" He got cut off as Undyne closed the computer, throwing it at the wall. Papyrus cringed at the loud noise, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket.  
  
  
  
"I guess it's time to go?" Sans nodded, starting up the stairs. "Yeah, end the guy and let's go."  
  
  
  
  
Papyrus glanced at Undyne hopefully, but the woman quickly followed Sans. He sighed, glancing at the human who was once again unconscious. 

At least he wouldn't be awake for it.  
Pulling out his switchblade, he cut into the man's neck, sawing until he felt it was deep enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an original work that I began writing months ago, but I wanted to rewrite it as fanfiction and change the plot a bit to see how it turns out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretend that this makes sense.

That wasn't the first time Papyrus ended a life. It was his seventeenth, to be precise.  
  
The trio had no time to hide the body, so they left it to rot on the old wooden chair. Said chair was soaked with blood, sweat, and a few other liquids Papyrus didn't care to name.  
When they walked outside, Sans was rushing, shoving Undyne forward and hissing at Papyrus to move faster.  
  
The youngest rushed after them, grateful for his long legs. Sans could move quickly for someone his size. Undyne grumbled as they reached the outskirts of the woods, "What about those other people in the basement?" She was referring to the man's family. They were tied down, most likely still sobbing and praying to God for their lives.  
  
  
Papyrus scoffed at the idea of praying to a nonexistent being.  
Even if they prayed, they wouldn't be found until they were dead. They lived in the middle of nowhere.  
  
Sans replied blankly, "They're not our problem." Papyrus frowned, glancing at their leader, "One is pregnant, though." The older skeleton shrugged, speeding up his pace. Papyrus shut his mouth, realizing his efforts were fruitless.  
  
  
The biting December wind whipped them in the face as they lumbered through the glittering snow. If it weren't for the Gibbous moon, they'd be doused in darkness. Another breeze passed them, making Undyne shiver, "Crap."  
  
Papyrus snickered mentally at his teammate, who was too stubborn to wear a thicker coat. Without further conversation, the team advanced further through the woods.  
  
  
Papyrus wondered about the family as he followed his teammates. He longed to go back and set them free, but that'd probably result in them calling the cops and him getting beat down.  
  
The skeleton looked up, the stars peeking out and the moonlight lighting up the sky, causing the shadows to make intricate patterns on the ground. Before long, the team stood in front of a tree. Despite what a human may think, it was no ordinary tree. It had the mark of Asgore on it, carved roughly into the center.  
  
  
His mark was a small three-pointed trident. Even in a poorly-done carving, the points looked sharp and painful. Papyrus could feel the overwhelming magic seeping off of the mark, clogging his senses. He coughed, covering his mouth with his arm.  
  
"Who's going to grab the drinks?" Undyne asked. The shorter monster didn't look up, merely snorting, "We're not drinking anything."  
  
  
Undyne groaned, throwing her head back. She stomped a foot in the thick, fluffy snow, "I always get drinks after missions, though!" Sans slipped a hand in his pocket, grunting, "That's when you were training under Gaster. If you haven't noticed by now, I'm not him."  
  
He glanced at Papyrus, and they made awkward eyelight contact. "And you're not a newbie anymore," He murmured, looking away and pulling a knife out of his pocket.  
  
  
He handed it to Papyrus, "Open the portal."  
  
Papyrus nodded, relieved that he didn't have to use his dirty knife. He grabbed the handle and sawed it into his ulna as quickly as he could. He nearly smiled as he realized he didn't feel as much pain this time.  
  
Placing the cut against the wood, he watched as some yellow bone marrow seeped out, making contact with the mark. The moment it did there was an astonishing orange flash. Papyrus covered his sockets.  
  
Undyne shoved him out of the way and he stumbled, quickly regaining his posture. The woman barbariously hollered, "Whoohoo!" She hurled herself into the portal, disappearing with a pop.  
  
Papyrus rolled his eyelights, muttering his displeasure. He glimpsed at Sans, silently asking if it was his turn to go. "She's twenty-one and still acts seventeen," The other skeleton grumped. He looked up, signaling for Papyrus to go.  
  
  
Inhaling, Papyrus jumped in. It felt as if he was floating for a moment before he was dunked into another world. He rolled as he fell, learning to avoid the rocks by the entrance.  
The livelihood of Snowdin practically smacked him in the skull. Papyrus stood up, dusting his hoodie and his femurs off. He could hear chattering, shouting, banging, and laughing even from a distance. Smiling at the familiarity, he started toward his section of the town, ready to collapse in a bed. Usually, he didn't enjoy sleeping, but after how many missions Asgore had assigned...  
  
  
He summoned some healing magic and mended his ulna, humming quietly. The breeze whipped him in the skull as he walked.  
  
There was a loud pop behind him, and he glanced to see Sans a few feet behind him. The stout monster quickly took a shortcut somewhere else, presumably the street their house was on.  
  
  
"Get that human!" Someone shouted, and there was a barrage of loud commotion and cheering. Guessing by the whooping and cackling, the human was a dead lump on the concrete.  
  
As Papyrus got nearer to Snowdin's center, he saw Undyne being heaved up in the middle of the rowdy crowd.  
  
  
"What are you fucking doing? Get back here now!" Papyrus heard Sans yelling over the drunken chattering and gloating. "Aww, come on!" Undyne whined, her admirers refusing to let her down. Papyrus watched, holding back a yawn as he reached the crowd.  
  
He failed to see why monsters adored and idolized Undyne. Why anyone would want to be an obnoxious, crude, arrogant brat, he didn't know. Supposedly, it was because the woman trapped one of the most feared monsters in the world, Toriel.  
  
Papyrus snorted at the thought. Undyne doing something heroic for a good cause? Ha!  
  
"Get that idiot back over here," Sans ordered, his fatigue prominent in his voice. The taller monster jumped, not used to being snuck up on yet.  
  
  
Glancing at his leader, he noticed the dark circles under his sockets. Nodding silently, Papyrus pushed through the crowd, shoving a few lower-class monsters in the process. He got cussed at, but nothing happened.  
  
Undyne was back on the ground, chuckling and holding a bottle of alcohol that someone must've bought for her. Papyrus tugged on her arm, but she ignored him and continued to chatter. He sat for a few moments, waiting to see if she was just quickly wrapping up the conversation.  
Unfortunately, she wasn't.  
  
  
With a sigh, Papyrus yanked her harder, causing her to spill her drink. The fish grunted, swiveling around to glare at him.  
  
Most of the crowd fell silent and backed away. Undyne looked prepared to lunge at him, but she glanced behind him and stopped, wiping some of the drink that spilled on her clothes. She side-eyed Papyrus, shoving past him.  
  
When there was not a monster in sight, Sans hissed at Undyne, "You may be a so-called legend amongst the lower class, but you're still young and naive for one of us." His expression was blank, but it was clear he was annoyed.  
  
  
The short skeleton began to rush down the street, shoving his hands into his pockets. Undyne mimicked his words when he appeared to be out of earshot. Papyrus looked back at her, shaking his head.  
She glared heatedly at him, her pupils slits and her face twisted into an ugly frown. "What are you looking at, punk?!" Papyrus sighed inwardly. Without a glance back, he jogged forward, trying to catch up with Sans.  
  
Why she hated him passionately, he'd never know.  
  
  
  
Papyrus caught up with the other skeleton after a few moments. Sans said nothing as Papyrus fell into step beside him. He traced his phalanges along the blade in his pocket, sneaking glimpses at the older monster as they walked.  
  
Bright lights flashed above, the tall apartment buildings and casinos looming over them. Cigarette smoke and the distinct smell of something to be left unnamed drifted in the air. The fresh snow crunched under their footwear, Sans wearing his signature fluffy boots and Papyrus wearing his bronze leather pair.  
  
  
  
Their silence was interrupted as Undyne finally ran up, huffing slightly. Papyrus handed her a full bottle of warm water from his pocket, but she snarled at him and refused to take it. "I don't need water, get that out of my face," She growled, standing up straight and following Sans.  
  
Papyrus clenched it before shoving it back in his pockets, annoyed. "So, why can't we go out and get drinks?" Undyne asked, making both skeletons roll their eyelights. "Because I'm the leader, and I said we're not getting drinks," Sans replied cooly. Undyne grumbled under her breath.  
  
There was a short silence after that. In the distance, Papyrus could hear cars on the highway and the loud roughhousing by the bar. The fake stars above were glittering, only a few shoving up through the vibrant city lights.  
  
"Why are we even heading back to that shithole? There's nothing there," Undyne asked, the weight of keeping silent too much for her to hold. Sans began to walk faster, "Gaster is waiting."  
  
Undyne snorted, glaring at their leader, "Are you serious? He's a deadbeat, Sans, we should ditch him!"  
  
Papyrus cringed, knowing what would happen next. As predicted, there was a loud smack and Undyne was on the ground, her nose bleeding.  
  
  
Sans looked down on her, his eyelights glowing vividly and a bone hovering next to him. "You ungrateful bitch, that is rich coming from you! He was the only one who actually cared about you when you were a runt. Nobody insults him," With those finishing words, he took a shortcut to the house.  
  
  
Papyrus stared at Undyne as she sat up. She wiped her bloody nose, grunting and tilting her head back. She tried to glare at Papyrus, but it didn't have any effect. "Unless you'd like to keep your skull intact, I suggest you look away, punk," Her voice didn't have its usual ire, but he looked away anyway.  
  
  
The two walked in silence, Papyrus making sure to get ahead of Undyne. They were in the outskirts of town now, where it was nearly silent and the buildings were much older.  
  
What felt like an hour passed before they reached the shack. Despite being so-called heroes, Papyrus's team didn't get the sybaritic treatment expected. While Asgore praised them for capturing Toriel, he still kicked them out of the castle.  
  
Nobody ever bothered to tell Papyrus why.  
  
Trudging up the stairs, he reached out to open the door, "Don't start a fight this time." He advised, not bothering to look back at Undyne before opening the front door, revealing the dimly-lit wasteland of a living room.  
  
The brown sofas were torn at the edges, and laundry was littering the floor. The stench of strong alcohol and cigarette smoke filled Papyrus's nasal cavity, making him cough. No matter how many times he'd been forced to endure the smell, he'd never get used to it.  
  
  
Papyrus walked inside, leaving the door ajar for Undyne. His eyelights fell on Gaster when he looked up. The oldest member sat in the back of the room, sulking on the sofa. He clutched a half-empty bottle of whiskey, the dark liquid showing through the hole in his hand.  
  
  
The once mighty and respected monster had become a pathetic scrounger. Papyrus called out quietly, "Gaster, you okay?" It was a stupid question, but it didn't feel right to ignore him. The man stirred at Papyrus's soft voice, blinking rapidly. He sat up and turned to look at his teammates, his bones greying and ugly circles hanging under his empty sockets. He summoned a pair of weak, flickering eyelights.  
  
There was a loud sigh, and Papyrus turned to see Undyne storming out the door. Everyone heard her snarl, "I knew that scumbag wouldn't do anything while we were out!"  
  
  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Sans asked, and Papyrus flinched as the skeleton blipped in front of him. His posture was rigid as he clenched his fists. The woman grunted in response, "What does it look like I'm doing, genius?" She stopped when she reached the bottom of the steps. "Did I say you can leave?" Sans hissed. Undyne rolled her eyes, tightening her ponytail. "I don't need to listen to you," She nodded at Papyrus. "You already have a shrimp to boss around."  
Papyrus huffed but said nothing in response.  
  
  
Undyne strode down the street, flipping them off. Sans stepped forward, "Undyne, stop." She heard him but proceeded to walk faster. She disappeared onto the next street. Gritting his teeth, Sans turned to Papyrus, "Stay here and make sure Gaster doesn't do anything stupid. I'm going to drag her over here." Papyrus nodded slowly, watching somberly as Sans disappeared again. He turned back to the house, walking in and locking the door.  
  
  
Gaster made a grunting noise, sinking into the sofa further. Papyrus meandered toward him and sat down on the opposite side of him.  
The two monsters brooded in silence for a while. Papyrus snuggled into his hoodie, glancing at Gaster now and then. Plenty of time passed, which he spent staring at the stained floral wallpaper, counting to one-thousand.  
  
  
Gaster sat up after what felt like an hour, swigging the rest of his bottle. Papyrus stopped him when he reached for another, shooting him a concerned look. The older skeleton shrugged him off, grabbing the last bottle and twisting the cap off. He chuckled, "Can you believe I used to be something?"  
  
Papyrus looked into the monster's dim eyelights. He replied after a moment, "You can still be something if you stop drinking, you know."  
  
Gaster shook his head, his grip on the bottle tightening, "No, you don't get it." Papyrus sighed, rubbing his glabella. He looked away from Gaster, "I do. I know you're upset because Asgore threw you out." Glancing at the piles of empty bottles, he murmured, "You know he still cares for you, right? For all of his subjects?"  
  
Gaster put the bottle down, sighing, "No, Asgore-" Papyrus interrupted him before he could finish.  
  
"Asgore didn't kill you. That means he still sees potential in you. You're still something," He looked at the older skeleton, who was staring at his lap. "You need to stop beating yourself up." Gaster looked into his peer's eyes before laughing, his voice rough. Papyrus sighed and scooted away. He noted to himself that he should just stay silent from now on since nobody took him seriously.  
  
Gaster reached out and patted his head, making the younger grunt and pull away. However, Gaster grabbed him and pulled him closer, a lazy smile on his face. It reminded Papyrus of Sans. He looked up into the other's eyelights, choosing not to address the sorrow in them.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
-0o0-  
  
  
  
  
  
  
They seemed to sit there for ages, stewing in the scent of whiskey and cigarettes, before there was a loud knock on the door. Papyrus sat up groggily and glanced at the door, which looked like it was going to break down any day. He wondered who it was, for his teammates would've barged in.  
  
  
There were no windows in the room, so he couldn't peek to see who it was. Grabbing his switchblade, he stalked toward the door. He wanted to stay quiet, but there was no point in trying since the floorboards creaked under him.  
  
After waiting for a moment, Papyrus opened the door slightly. He nearly yelped as it was shoved open and someone grabbed his arm. He swung his knife, but the figure dodged and twisted his arm. Papyrus struggled for a few minutes before he was pinned to the ground. He let out a small whimper and tried to escape from the person's grip, but it was no use.  
  
His soul fluttered, fear coursing throughout his body until he heard a familiar voice. "Gaster, you need to train this shrimp more. He can't even block an attack properly," Jules laughed.  
  
  
The famous man loosened his grip and pulled Papyrus off the floor, grinning under his mask. Papyrus dusted himself off, avoiding the other monster's gaze. He noted that the other monster had a new scar on his neck, some dried blood clinging to his fur.  
  
Despite being a lower-class loner, Jules was highly respected. Their group's affiliation with him was one of the only reasons they were still alive.  
  
  
The taller monster barged into the shack. Papyrus followed him, locking the old, creaky door behind him. Gaster watched them, his eyelights a bit brighter than usual. He placed his nearly empty bottle back on the table. "Heh, this place still looks like a dump. Aren't you guys supposed to be living in one of those yippie places?"  
  
Jules paused, wiping his muddy boots on the carpet. Papyrus rolled his eyelights. "Is Asgore still mad at you?"  
  
  
Gaster shrugged, not meeting anyone's eyes. He clasped his hands and sunk into the sofa again.  
  
  
Jules waved off the ghastly skeleton, glancing back at Papyrus. "Stay with these guys and you'll end up dead. You heard about the annual competition that's about to start, right?" Papyrus nodded, his sockets furrowing. He thought about Jules's words, gritting his teeth.  
  
  
  
He was right.  
  
  
Gaster's scratchy voice broke his train of thought, "Why are you here? I doubt you came just to socialize." Jules snorted, waving his hands dramatically.  
  
"Oh, you got me!" He pulled a burgundy package out from his black robes. He tossed it onto the table in front of the sofa. Gaster moved the empty bottles aside, picking up the package and shooting Jules an incredulous stare.  
  
  
  
"Don't give me that look. It's from Napstablook." He adjusted his mask, heading for the door and unlocking it.  
  
  
  
Before he went out, he glanced at Gaster, who was fidgeting with the ribbon tied to the gift. "Hey, Napstablook said to get your shit together. Three years have passed since that happened. You need to move on," His mask moved, and Papyrus could tell he was smirking.  
  
"You don't see any of us making a big deal, do you? Do something before you get your team killed." Gaster chuckled, the noise holding no humor.


	3. Chapter 3

The sharp bone glided through the brisk air. Within seconds, it struck the thick trunk of an old pine tree. Papyrus heard Jules behind him, clapping in a slow, sarcastic manner.  
  
Papyrus strengthened his eyelights to see better, and he noticed with a disappointed sigh that the bone was a mere inch from the target. "I'm starting to doubt you'll ever hit it," Jules jeered, his voice breaking the symphony of the crickets and the breeze. Heaving another sigh, Papyrus turned to glare at his mentor. The monster was sitting on the yellowing grass while twirling a switchblade between his fingers.  
  
The two were at the edge of the woods, away from the crowded and hectic city. Even though Papyrus was exhausted from how much he had been training, he was happy to be away from Undyne and Sans. The two constantly bickered like a mother and her rebellious teenager.  
  
It had been a few months since Jules had started training Papyrus and hanging out with him in the woods. It seemed as if none of the skeleton's teammates had time for him. Even Gaster, who did nothing but drink, smoke, and sulk.  
  
  
However, Jules and Papyrus weren't very close. Jules was a hard monster to get close to. He was arrogant, careless, loud, obnoxious, a mix of bad things.  
He reminded Papyrus of Undyne sometimes.  
The skeleton was grateful Jules cleared his schedule to train him, but it'd be much preferred for Sans or Gaster to do it. Flopping onto the grass, he gazed into the dark, nearly blank sky.  
  
Papyrus had spent the last four hours running through the woods and trying to hit the targets. He wasn't the best at it, but at least he was able to throw the bone a few inches from each target. Six months ago, he couldn't even hit a tree.  
  
Now he was much better at it and could navigate through the woods with ease. The skill he had to practice now was his accuracy in aiming, which he wasn't doing too well on. "Hey damsel, what's got you in a pissy mood?" Papyrus ignored the nickname and didn't respond, staring at Jules. He looked hard at the monster's mask, but couldn't see anything behind it.  
  
He noted that Jules seemed very relaxed, which was odd to him. Every monster he knew was tense and paranoid. "How are you so mellow?" He asked. Jules shrugged, leaning against a tree, "I've done and seen some shit." Papyrus sat up and stared hard at the other monster. Jules's head was tilted up, seemingly staring at the pathetic amount of 'stars' in the sky. "Hey," Papyrus murmured, but he didn't move.  
  
Papyrus cleared his throat loudly. The taller monster looked down, standing up straight, "Oh, what?" The skeleton raised a socket. He had never seen Jules like this. "What were you thinking?" He asked. Jules shook his head, "Nothing." Papyrus wanted to prod further but knew from experience that wouldn't end well.  
  
They stayed silent for a while, relaxing in the dying grass. The blissful silence without the hustle of the city was nice.  
  
  
After some time, the wind picked up and the air got colder. Papyrus knew Jules hated the cold, so he tried to ask another question before the man left. "Do you ever want to... Disappear?" Jules glanced at him, snorting, "You can't run away." Papyrus pretended he didn't hear that and stood up.  
  
Snickering, Jules asked, "Did one of your teammates sneak you some drugs? What's up with you?" Papyrus shrugged, dusting any possible dirt from his femurs. The other monster stood and walked up to Papyrus. Though Papyrus was tall, he appeared to be of average height next to the other. Jules wrapped an arm around Papyrus, "Hey, how about we head to Grillby's? I think it's about time I show you around!" Papyrus cringed. Sans told him to never go there.  
  
He slipped on a little smile, "Sorry, I don't feel like drinking." Jules groaned, "Oh, come on damsel, it'll be fun! The others don't have to find out. I'll make sure Grillby gives you a freebie," Papyrus shot Jules a reluctant look, making him grumble. "Ugh, you're so uptight. Papyrus, as your mentor, I say we get a drink!" Papyrus frowned, unwrapping Jules's arm from his shoulder, "Do we have to?"  
  
Jules glared at the smaller monster, "You fucking prissy! Let's just go," Before Papyrus could object, he was being dragged down the hill. They left the forest, advancing toward the bright city. Papyrus tried to tug himself away, but it was no use.  
  
After walking through many unfamiliar, decked-out streets, they reached a cozy-looking bar. A small sign next to the door read in neat handwriting, 'Both Loners and Brokers Allowed'. Papyrus let out a relieved sigh. Good thing he wouldn't have to deal with any bullshit. "Have you ever had a drink before?" Jules asked, his mask moving slightly as he smirked. "Yeah, but I'm not a big fan," Papyrus replied.  
  
Jules reached out to open the door, but he stopped when someone nearby let out a yelp. It was quiet, but monsters had enhanced hearing. The two peeked behind the bar, and Papyrus's sockets widened as he saw two familiar robots.  
  
  
Napstablook lay trembling on the floor, coughing up oil. Mettaton stood above him, throwing a heavy kick into the monster's stomach with his heeled boots. Napstablook coughed up more oil, gurgling. Jules snarled, "What the hell?!" He rushed toward the two robots furiously. Papyrus followed suit quickly, paying Mettaton no attention and moving to Napstablook's side. He frowned at the robot's condition.  
  
They had a small dent in their cheek, and there were black oil stains by their mouth. Their eyes held no light, and their torso was alarmingly thin and dented. Both Jules and Papyrus were disgusted by the sight of them. "What is wrong with you?!" Jules yelled, advancing toward Mettaton. Mettaton was shorter than him, but he looked up confidently. "I'm doing what any reasonable broker would do if their loner disobeyed them." He smirked, digging the tip of his boot into one of Napstablook's dents. The monster groaned.  
  
Jules shoved the robot clad in pink away. "Stay away from him," He spat.  
Mettaton raised a brow, his arms akimbo, "Oh? Are you getting physical with me?" He looked Jules up and down. Letting out a chuckle in his silvery voice, he sneered, "Pfft, I see you're also a loner."  
  
He rose a hand to his mouth, yawning, "You're not worth fighting. Consider respecting those above you, darling." Jules shook in rage. Papyrus watched the exchange, pulling Napstablook closer with a sigh. Great, more drama.  
  
Mettaton turned to look at Papyrus, "Oh, another broker?" He examined Papyrus, tsking. "A runt, I see." Papyrus furrowed his sockets, avoiding the robot's gaze. How'd he know?  
Mettaton shot him a smile dripping with false sweetness, "Don't be surprised. You give off the vibe of one, tootsie." Papyrus felt magic rush to his cheeks, and he looked away.  
Mettaton took this chance to grab Napstablook, dragging his cousin next to him. "Listen here, you clump of metal! If you don't-" Mettaton interrupted, waving off the taller monster with a smirk. "Jules, darling, you don't scare me. You're just a child who cries when he doesn't get what he wants," He made a pouty face, imitating a toddler. Jules growled, and the two began to bicker.  
  
Papyrus picked up Napstablook again while their cousin was distracted. He cringed as the monster coughed up some oil on his hoodie. Good thing it was a dark color. Napstablook chuckled weakly, looking up at the skeleton. Their eyes were still empty, and Papyrus assumed he was too weak to summon eyelights. "How pathetic can I get?" The robot asked, their head drooping. Papyrus stared at them, setting them up against the wall. "We need to get you out of here," He murmured. Napstablook looked up at him, frowning. "There's-There's no use, I don't belong in your group..."  
  
Papyrus sighed, "Napstablook, you're hurt." The robot shrugged, sinking against the wall, "Mettaton will heal me afterward, he always does." Papyrus was about to protest, but before he could there was a loud clang!  
  
He snapped his skull up to see Mettaton defending himself against Jules. Their blades pushed against each other. Mettaton giggled, another arm extending out to grab Jules. The taller monster dodged, snarling as he retreated his knife.  
  
"Wow Jules, backstabbing me? How low can one get?" Jules ignored his retort, hissing, "You think you can get away with what you did?" Mettaton sighed, tucking his hair behind his ears. "You don't seem to get it. He's a loner," He spat the word out with a revolted tone, and used the wrong pronouns. "And he went against my orders." Papyrus glanced at Napstablook to see their reaction, but they appeared to be unconscious.  
  
Jules gripped his knife tighter, "You think you're so mighty, don't you?" He moved toward the robot, but he was stopped by one of Mettaton's arms, shoving him back roughly. Jules stumbled back a step. "I'm above him, and I know it."  
  
"You filthy broker," Jules insulted him. Papyrus flinched, clenching his fists. He knew the insult wasn't directed at him, but it still stung. Jules had jeered at him before for being a broker, but this time his words had raw anger behind them.  
  
"Papyrus? Jules?" Everyone stopped.  
Papyrus looked up, shocked to see Undyne standing by the side of the bar. Her brows raised high. Her gaze switched between all of them, landing on Mettaton. She pursed her lips.  
  
Mettaton looked back at her, his eyelights brightening. He sheathed his weapons. "Well, I never thought I'd see you around these parts of town" He smirked, "Then again, you've always loved to be unpredictable."  
Undyne narrowed her eyes, the corner of her lip curling, "Back off. I'm not in the mood." Papyrus glanced between the two, his sockets wide. He never thought he'd see the day where Undyne was this serious.  
  
  
Giggling, Mettaton rose a hand to his mouth, his eyes sultry. "That's not what you said the last time we were together."  
Papyrus's jaw dropped slightly, and Jules audibly gasped. "Wh-Wait, Undyne, you and Mettaton?" The masked monster trailed off, not finishing his sentence. A moment of silence passed, "That's nasty." Undyne ignored him, though Papyrus saw her face twitch. She continued to glare at Mettaton, "I'm serious, back off." Mettaton paused before bursting out in giggles. He wiped his forehead, "I don't think so, darling. I have every right to be here! They're the ones who are sticking their noses in other people's business," He glanced at Papyrus, "Metaphorically."  
  
The skeleton furrowed his sockets, glancing between the stirring Napstablook and Undyne. "Undyne, Mettaton's hurting them," He spoke up, lightly grasping Napstablook's hand. Undyne frowned, looking down on them, "We can't."  
  
Papyrus stood, clenching his jaw, "They're our friend." Undyne looked away from him, staring at the ground. "They're not a part of our group anymore, though."  
Mettaton ended their little exchange, "For old time's sake, I won't kill you! You've been a dear, after all," He approached Undyne and reached out to stroke her face. She grabbed his wrists, shoving him away with a blank face. The robot rolled his eyelights.  
  
"Undyne, just convince him that we can look after Napstablook. Look at them," Jules chided, gesturing toward the robot who was leaning against the wall. Their eyelights flickered as they watched them. Papyrus hadn't noticed they summoned them. 

As if on cue, Napstablook began to cough up more oil, spattering it on their navy blue metal. Papyrus crouched next to them, keeping the monster from collapsing on the ground again.  
  
Mettaton contemplated for a moment, "Well... If you want him that bad, we can fight for him." Papyrus gaped, "W-what?" Mettaton stepped back from Undyne. He glanced at Napstablook, his nose twitching, "If I lose, he can go with you for a few days. If I win, you'll come over to my group for a few days," He gestured to Undyne.  
"To make things more... Intriguing, I want to fight that skeleton. He's a runt from your group, am I right?" Papyrus froze at those words, looking up. His grip on Napstablook tightened, making the robot whimper. Nobody said anything for a few moments.  
  
  
"But that's unfair," Papyrus broke the silence. Mettaton made an exaggerated expression, shrugging, "Well, I'm not supposed to be handing over my loner either.  
"That's absurd, Mettaton. You have years of experience and he just started," Jules snapped, and Papyrus noticed that the fur on his hands was wet from sweat. Mettaton smiled, "He's from Undyne's group, he must have some skill. Besides, I'm curious." He took a long look at Papyrus, eyeing him as if he were a snack. The skeleton shifted uncomfortably.  
Papyrus looked around, waiting for someone to object.  
Nobody did.  
  
He glanced at Napstablook, who was dented and stained with oil. Sighing, he stood. "Papyrus, you can't," The robot whispered, their voice wavering. Papyrus frowned, "I have to." Napstablook summoned their purple eyelights again for a few seconds, meeting the skeleton's lights. "He's too strong for you to take down. He has been doing this for nearly seven years."  
  
Papyrus felt any shred of confidence he had wither.  
  
"You better hurry, I'm growing impatient," Mettaton cooed. Jules shook his head, backing away slightly. "I can't believe you're allowing this shit, Undyne." The fish woman didn't reply, watching somberly as Mettaton advanced toward Papyrus. It was clear she didn't care for her teammate's wellbeing, focusing only on getting Napstablook back.  
Papyrus summoned a jagged bone, his soul racing. Mettaton purred, glancing at the humerus, "Come at me." Papyrus clenched his teeth so hard he was surprised they didn't hurt. "I'm dead," he muttered.  
  
"He won't kill you. I'll make sure of that," Undyne said, glaring at Mettaton. The robot ignored her, checking Papyrus and chuckling. "Wow, only level twenty-seven? This will be easy." Papyrus cringed, checking him in return.  
Level forty-six.  
  
Mettaton eyed the skeleton closely, his posture relaxed. "I'm getting bored, aren't you going to do something?" Papyrus stayed silent, rooted to his spot and clenching his bone tightly. He kept one leg back. A minute passed before Mettaton rolled his eyelights, charging at him.  
  
Papyrus stumbled back in surprise, narrowly dodging. He tripped over a brick that stuck out, falling to the floor and landing on his pelvis. Within a minute, Mettaton had already unarmed the skeleton and pinned him down with a heeled boot. The robot shook his head, "Well, this is disappointing. I was expecting more-" Papyrus grabbed his pink boot, twisting it and causing the robot to also fall with a yelp. 

Unfortunately, his victory didn't last long. They both stood at the same time, and Mettaton charged Papyrus again. Papyrus tried to dodge, but the blade sliced into his clavicle. He hissed, summoning another bone and attempting to ignore the pain. Just as Mettaton was getting close again, he grabbed the robot roughly and shoved him against the wall, holding him there. He aimed the bone at Mettaton's spine. However, his grip loosened as he was aiming, so he was only able to strike the robot's shoulder. Oil spurted out, some getting on his cheekbone.  
Mettaton scowled, pushing the skeleton away and quickly using some healing magic to make the wound stop gushing oil. They glared at each other.  
  
Suddenly, Mettaton was at his side, and he got pinned to the ground again. Papyrus yelped. He heard Mettaton was fast, but he never expected that. He tried to get up or roll away, but the robot was too strong. Mettaton giggled, "Oh, we're getting somewhere!" He made a pouting face, "Too bad you're too slow for me." He turned to wink at Undyne, "Guess you're coming with me, darling."  
  
Papyrus knew it was wrong to attack someone while they were distracted, but...  
  
He tripped the robot, quickly getting up and kicking him where one's ribs would be. Mettaton coughed up a small amount of oil, his eyes widening. He glared at Papyrus, grabbing his foot and squeezing it hard when he tried to get another kick in. "Attacking someone who's distracted, eh? Okay, fine, let's play it your way!" Before Papyrus could say anything, he was pinned against the wall, and Mettaton was striking his ribs.  
  
Papyrus grunted, trying to move. Mettaton didn't stop, and the skeleton felt his soul flutter oddly.  
  
  
He began to panic, trying hard to shove the robot away. He didn't budge, hitting Papyrus once again. Papyrus slammed his skull into Mettaton's head, making the robot stumble back, groaning. "Get him," Undyne encouraged him. The skeleton stood up straighter, summoning a smaller but just as sharp bone. He threw it at Mettaton and ran toward him.  
The robot looked up, sporting a mischievous smile. He dodged the bone, which hit the ground and uprooted the bricks. Papyrus didn't have any time to think before Mettaton was behind him, putting him in a chokehold. He gripped the skeleton's spine, making Papyrus whimper.  
Mettaton kicked the back of his leg, further humiliating him, "Kneel." The skeleton struggled for a few moments but figured it was no use. He begrudgingly kneeled, refusing to look up and meet any of his teammate's eyes.  
  
"Well, you guys are losing your touch. You obviously haven't trained him well," Mettaton tucked his hair behind his ear again. Papyrus felt the robot's cold fingers under his mandible, tilting his skull up. Mettaton smiled sickly as he looked down at him, "At least he obeys."  
  
Papyrus held in his tears, looking down at his patellas. He clasped his hands, pulling away from Mettaton, "I-I'm sorry Undyne... I tried-" The woman interrupted him, and he could hear the clear disappointment in her voice. "Shut up." Papyrus stopped talking, sinking. "Tell the others I won't be over tonight," Undyne ordered him, striding toward Mettaton. 

The robot nodded at Napstablook, "Help the poor thing up and I'll lead the way." Papyrus looked up as he heard Napstablook groan. Undyne picked them up and began to walk away with Mettaton, following a back-trail.  
  
He stood to go home, but a thought struck him. What would happen if he came home to Sans with bone marrow leaking from his clavicle, and without Undyne? He glanced at Undyne's figure, which was quickly disappearing, "W-wait!" He called out weakly.  
  
  
Undyne turned slightly, and she rolled her eye. "For fuck's sake Papyrus, go back to the others!" Mettaton placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shook him off. "Actually, I want him to come." Papyrus cringed at the way the other monster looked at him. 

"Oh, you guys are just going to leave me behind?" Jules asked as Papyrus started down the trail. Undyne continued to walk, not looking back, "Tell the others where we'll be. We'll be back either tomorrow or the next day." Jules grumbled something under his breath, trudging away.  
  
Without warning, Undyne hurled Napstablook at Papyrus. The skeleton yelped, reaching out and catching the robot. He nearly dropped Napstablook. For someone their size, they sure were heavy.  
Or maybe Papyrus was weak.  
  
He wanted to say goodbye to Jules, but the robot was bleeding all over him. He rushed to catch up with the others. "Hurry up," Undyne yelled at them. Papyrus tried to run, but it made Napstablook cough up more oil. "Pathetic pile," Mettaton muttered. Papyrus looked up, thinking the insult was aimed at him, but the robot was staring at Napstablook.  
Funny how he was still insulting his cousin even though he was in critical condition. Papyrus couldn't believe anyone would treat family like that, just because they're a loner. He frowned, keeping his pace reasonable. They passed the woods on the way, and he saw one of the first sites Jules took him to for training. A small smile crossed his face as he recalled it.  
  
Eventually, they reached a tall, two-story burgundy mansion. Papyrus noted that there were a few boarded-up windows, but overall the place was a nice sight. It was a palace compared to their group's shack. Mettaton opened the door, holding it open for them. Undyne walked in first, striding as if she owned the place. Papyrus followed her, his legs getting shaky from carrying Napstablook for so long.  
  
Even though the mansion looked nice from the outside, it was drab and dark inside. There was shattered glass scattered around the dimly lit hallways. The blank red wallpaper was peeling and there were dark spots on the carpet.  
  
Mettaton shut the door and walked ahead of them. Papyrus ignored the loud yelling from somewhere in the house as the robot led them up the stairs.  
They walked into a large room with multiple windows and a tall ceiling. It was devoid of furniture, and the wallpaper was stained. "What brings the mighty Undyne to our humble mansion?" A honey-sweet voice echoed throughout the room. A short woman stood next to the door, a mask covering her face.  
  
Papyrus guessed that she was a Sphynx cat monster, judging by the hairless tail swishing behind her, her perked ears, and her striking green eyes with slit pupils. She wore a long coffee-brown trench coat and black trousers.  
  
Her blank black mask had a few scratches on it. Undyne looked down at her, reaching a hand out, "Let's make a deal." The cat suspired, tilting her head back and glaring at Mettaton, "Who did you drag in this time?" The robot posed dramatically in response, "Oh, here I thought I'd have company." He opened his eyes and dropped his arms. "I-Uh, decided to play one of my little games when I saw Undyne."  
  
The cat woman rolled her eyes, pulling out a cigarette. Papyrus cringed at the sight of it. "You and your stupid games," She uttered and turned to Undyne. She lit the cigarette, "And YOU with your deals. What is it with your group and deals?" She smiled, "Didn't one of those backfire and almost get your group killed?" Undyne tensed, but still kept her hand out, "That was a long time ago. Besides, that was the deal that helped me catch Toriel."  
  
The cat giggled, "Oh, how could we forget? " She glanced behind Undyne, ignoring her unconscious teammate. "You must be the new broker our loner told us about," She purred, looking Papyrus up and down. The skeleton narrowed his sockets, his legs still wavering slightly. He hoped it wasn't noticeable. "And you're the leader of this group, am I right?" He asked, trying to keep his tone even. The woman nodded, a smile crossing her face again. 

She turned to Undyne, "I never expected him to be so young." Undyne rolled her eye, "Please. Your runt is even younger. How old is he again? Sixteen?"  
  
The cat murmured, "Fifteen. The king keeps changing the legal age of entry to be lower and lower." Undyne pulled her arm back, shoving it in her pocket. "I'm not here to discuss runts. I want to talk about the upcoming competition," She said, tapping her foot. "My group helped yours a while ago, so it's only right that you help us."  
  
The cat woman examined her claws for a moment, contemplating. "No," She replied, looking up to meet Undyne's gaze. Undyne narrowed her eye, her lip curling up, "Why?"  
  
The cat sighed, "I respect you sweetie, I really do. However, if I join your group, that will just drag us down. I couldn't do that to my teammates." She giggled, "I've heard many things about Gaster, and none of them are good. He's already a lost cause. And him," She pointed at Papyrus, taking a drag from her cigarette. "He couldn't even beat Mettaton!" Mettaton and Papyrus flinched.  
  
Undyne grunted and the cat turned away, looking out the window at Snowdin. Papyrus sighed, laying Napstablook on the floor against the wall. He nearly cried out in relief, but his legs were screaming for him to lay down.  
He glanced at Undyne, who was fuming silently. "We ca-can still make this work," He reasoned.  
The cat looked back, "Really?"


	4. Chapter 4

I am dissatisfied with this work. I didn't think much about how I'd portray the characters before I published it.  
  
I'll be rewriting this, and this work will be deleted soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that sucked.  
> My writing is rusty and even before I stopped I wasn't very good at it, haha.


End file.
